Owners of local illegal gambling establishments arrested

ENGLEWOOD, Fla. (WWSB) – A man was arrested on several charges, including money laundering and operating gambling establishments in Englewood.

Over the past few months, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Florida Gaming Commission, has dedicated efforts and resources to stopping the increasing amount of illegal gambling activity. In an effort to continue to permanently shut down these establishments, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation into the Tiffany Square Bingo Hall in Englewood.

A search warrant was obtained, which led to the seizure of approximately 196 electronic gaming machines and the permanent closure of the doors.

Information gathered during the Tiffany Square investigation was helpful in investigating another Englewood site, the Cornerstone Arcade.

It turned out that both Tiffany Square and Cornerstone were owned and managed by the same man, Salim Qadir.

“You would think that after multiple warnings and the closure of similar establishments in Charlotte County, the message would be crystal clear. It appears this individual did not hear us, so I’ll repeat it for everyone as a precaution. If you choose to operate an illegal gambling establishment in my county, close the doors or we will close it for you,” said Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell.

A nationwide arrest warrant was issued and through cooperation with authorities in Forsyth, Georgia, Qadir was located and arrested. He is currently being held on $256,000 bail and is charged with:

• RICO, Prohibited Activities and Defense (Extortion)
• Money laundering over $100,000, a first degree felony
• Fraud Money Laundering Trans 20k less than $100k, second crime
• Conduct of a lottery operator in advertising a drawing system, third degree offense (x2)
• Establishing a gambling establishment, maintaining a gambling house, second degree misdemeanor (x2)

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